


Angels in Strangers

by wibblywobblymess



Series: I'm Your Angel [2]
Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-25
Updated: 2015-02-25
Packaged: 2018-03-15 00:31:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,539
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3431333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wibblywobblymess/pseuds/wibblywobblymess
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>{Set after Remember Me. }</p>
<p>During a trip to Chicago to visit family, Derek finds that not only has Gayle moved to Illinois, she also works for the attorney his mother uses for her estate plan, and one of her clients happens to be an old friends of the BAU. </p>
<p>His trip (and visit) is cut short when Hotch calls Derek to tell him they are coming to Illinois - they have a series of kidnappings & murders. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>{Ugh, sorry, sorry, shitty summary}</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“Yeah, I know, sis. Look, I’m leaving now, I’ll be there in a little bit,” she laughed, hanging her purse off her shoulder, and closing the front door.

                 He lowered his body into the darkened backseat, listening as she opened and closed the driver door, and tossed her purse onto the passenger seat. The keys entered the ignition, started the engine, and brought the vehicle to life as she backed out of the drive, and headed down the road.

                Carefully, as she approached a stop sign, he lifted his body from the floor of the vehicle, and pressed the blade of the knife against her neck.

“Don’t scream. Don’t panic. Do as I say, and you’ll be just fine,” he breathed into her ear. She froze up, eyes wide, and whimpered slightly.

“W-What do you want?” she asked shakily. He smirked.

“Just do as I say,” he replied, wrapping her ponytail around one hand, and keeping the blade against her neck, as he whispered directions in her ear.

 

**_[PAGE BREAK]_ **

 

                The sun peaked, and ducked behind one of the few white clouds overhead, as the car came to a stop against the curb. Glancing out the passenger window, he smiled, and pushed his sunglasses back up, climbing out with his keys in his hands. He made his way up the walk, and up the steps, placing the keys in his pocket before knocking on the door. For a couple of moments, there was no answer, and he raised an eyebrow, frowning. As he lifted his hand to knock again, he heard the footsteps inside, and smiled, watching as the door opened.

“Hello…Derek? Hi!” she laughed, reaching out the door to embrace him.

“Hey, mom! How’re ya doin?” he asked, returning the embrace as he stepped into the building, and closed the door behind him.

“I’m fine, I’m wonderful now that you’re here,” she replied, stepping back to cup his face in her hands. “Oh, it’s so good to have you home.” He smiled, and kissed her cheek, giving her another hug.

“It is good to be home – much more relaxing than being at work,” he replied, as she led him into the living room.

 

**_[PAGE BREAK]_ **

 

                She gathered the plates, and leaned down, placing a kiss on Morgan’s forehead.

“Dinner was great, mom,” he said, standing to help her. “You shouldn’t have to clean up – c’mon, put those down. Let me.” She hushed him, smiling and shaking her head.

“Don’t be silly, honey. You just got here, I’m not going to let you work,” she chuckled, heading to the kitchen and laying the dishes in the sink.

“Ma, you know I can’t sit around and do nothing,” Morgan replied, smirking and shaking his head.  She smiled over her shoulder as she flipped on the water, before shaking her head a little bit.

“There is something you can do for me, but you can’t until tomorrow.”

“Yeah?” he asked, grabbing a dish towel and standing next to her at the sink. She nodded, shutting the water off to look at Morgan.

“I finally met with an attorney, to set up a Will so that way you and your sisters are taken care of,” she said, patting her hand on his wrist. “We agreed I would come by to get them, but I’ve been so busy, I just couldn’t. Would you mind going there for me tomorrow? I’ll call and tell them you’ll be in to pick them up.” Morgan chuckled, and nodded, kissing his mom on the cheek.

“Sure thing, ma. Just let me know when you call them, so I don’t go before,” he suggested, smirking. She smiled, flipping the water back on, and pouring soap on the sponge.

 

**_[PAGE BREAK]_ **

 

                He pulled up into the lot, and shut off the SUV.

“Yeah, I’m here, ma. I’ll just see you when I get back…Love you too,” he smiled, before hanging up, sliding his phone away as he climbed out of the driver’s seat. As he pocketed the keys, he rounded the corner, and glanced carefully at the windows.

                His eyes scanned four different display windows before he saw the one for the attorney his mother used, and smiled. Opening the door, he looked around, and shook his head. The lobby was painted white, the floor covered in dark grey carpet with speckles of various dark shades of red, green, and blue, the walls dotted with various small paintings and photographs. Two oak desks sat near the wall, side by side, a chair behind one, the computer screen black with the time bouncing from one side to the other. Papers were spread across the desktops, and the chair was pushed out, as though the person had gotten up in a hurry.

                Looking around, Morgan walked around the lobby until he spotted the bell, hidden beneath a few sheets of scratch paper. Smirking, he pushed the paper out of the way, and tapped his finger into the button. There was a thud, and a groan.

“I hate that bell, I hate that bell. Hang on a second!” a female voice called, muffled slightly through the wall. Morgan put his hands into his pockets, and stepped back, turning towards the wall to examine the photographs.

                Her hands gripped a few large expandable files, and she hoisted them up as she slowly and carefully walked down the hall. She tilted her head, watching her feet as she made her way towards the lobby.

“Give me just one second, and I’ll help you,” she spoke as she rounded the corner. Morgan glanced over, and jumped a little, moving quickly up beside her and picking up a couple of the files.

“Let me help you with that,” he said, taking them and setting them on top of the second desk. She chuckled, and placed the other files in her hands down, too, and nodded.

“I really appreciate th-…You’ve got to be kidding me, Derek Morgan?” she asked, laughter in her voice. He looked up as she turned to face him, and couldn’t help the laugh passing his lips as they curled into a grin.

“Abygayl Morel, what are you doin’ here?” he asked, moving towards her and wrapping his arms around her waist. She giggled, hooking her arms around his shoulders, and pulled him into a tight hug, shaking her head.

“I _work_ here, Morgan. What’s your excuse?” He pulled back and patted her cheek.

“I grew up in Chicago. Came by to pick up some papers for my mom.” Gayle looked at him for a second , eyebrows knitted together, before a look of realization showed on her face.

“Oh! Morgan! Oh, doy! I don’t know why the hell I didn’t put that one together,” she said, moving around him and digging through the papers on her desk. “You are named in the Will, I kind of should have figured that one out, huh?” she laughed, finally picking up the document and holding it out to him. He snickered.

“Maybe. How long have you been working here?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. Gayle thought for a second, before opening the top drawer, and rustling a few pages in the small calendar.

“It will be a year next month.” He paused, thinking for a second, before nodding.

“I can’t believe it’s been over a year since you were sitting at Headquarters trying to remember your name,” he said, taking the papers she had held out to him and shaking his head. Gayle smiled, and nodded.

“ _I_ can’t believe you are out here and standing in my office,” she chuckled, leaning against her desk and smiling at him. “But it’s good to see you.”

“You too, Gayle.”

                The two stood in the lobby, him holding his mom’s papers, her leaning against her desk, talking for several minutes, smiling and laughing, before her phone rang. Gayle jumped slightly, before snickering at herself, and holding up her hand towards Morgan as she answered. He looked around, letting her talk, and examined a sunset photograph that hung over her desk.

                Gayle set the phone down in the cradle, and turned back around, placing her head on his shoulder.

“Do you like that picture?” she asked, smiling. He glanced at her, and nodded, chuckling as he turned back towards her.

“Yeah, it’s a great shot. They all are,” Morgan replied, motioning his free hand around the walls.

“Good. Some of them are mine. Some are ones they randomly bought,” she said, motioning to the ceiling and referring to the attorneys. He chuckled, but nodded. “Hey…listen…I gotta get back to work, but…how long are you going to be around?” she asked, reaching out and laying her fingers on his arm. A smile tugged the corners of his lips, and he shrugged.

“I usually set aside a week to come see my mom and my sisters,” he answered, nodding a little bit.

“Ah…well…tomorrow, do you want to get some lunch? I have the day off, but I don’t want to keep you from your family for too long. We can catch up,” she suggested, hopeful. Morgan looked at her, before reaching up and patting his palm against her cheek.

“Gayle, I’d love to meet you for lunch. Give me your address, I’ll pick you up,” he said, to which she turned around and jotted down her address on a scrap of paper. She turned back around, and placed it in his palm.

“Then I will see you then. You still have my number, don’t you?” The hesitant look on his face made her laugh, and she reached down, snagging his phone off his hip. Morgan couldn’t help but chuckle as she pressed a few buttons, scanned his Contacts, and checked the number he had for her in his phone. “Hrm…that’s my old phone,” she sheepishly admitted, before going in and changing the number. She pressed one last button, and slid the phone back where it came from, looking up at Morgan.

“I’ll call you in the morning,” he said, as she led him to the door. Gayle stopped a few steps from the door, and reached out, hugging Morgan again.

“Good. Drive safe, Derek Morgan.”

“Have fun at work, Gayle Morel,” he replied with a smile, waving as he headed out the door.


	2. Chapter 2

                JJ rapped her knuckles against Hotch’s door, tapping the fingers of her other hand against the file she held.

“Come on in,” Hotch said, before his voice went low and he finished the phone call. She waited a second, before turning the knob, and poking her head around the door, smiling.

“This is for you,” she said, leaning over to place the file on his desk. He picked it up, and glanced it over, before looking up at her.

“Get the team together,” he said, flipping through a few of the pages as she headed out to gather the rest of the team.

                Prentiss, Reid, and Rossi, sat at the table, and JJ stood near the television as Hotch came in, and set the file down in the middle of the table.

“Naperville PD sent this over late last night,” JJ said, reaching down to open the file and pass it around for the team to see, before grabbing the remote, and pressing a couple buttons to bring a few pictures onto the screen. “In the past month, three women have been kidnapped, all three found dead. All three were mothers, all three went missing when they were supposed to have been in their cars, driving to meet someone,” she added, turning to see the team.

“How do they know it’s a serial killer?” Prentiss asked, flipping through a picture, before shaking her head and looking back up at JJ and Hotch.

“All three women were also found tortured, hands still bound behind their backs, with a single gunshot wound to the head,” JJ answered, pointing to her temple. “A fourth woman went missing two nights ago. Her husband reported her missing yesterday morning, said that she was supposed to have picked up their children from her sister’s house, but never made it.”

“Why didn’t they call that night, then?” Reid asked, frowning as he looked through the police report in his hands.

“Apparently her sister called her back a few minutes after they last talked, wound up leaving her a message telling her not to come, she was just going to watch the kids another night. When her sister didn’t show, she assumed she’d gotten the message. And her husband assumed that, when she didn’t return home, she had just stayed with her sister.”

“We’re heading to Illinois, get your things, wheels up in thirty,” Hotch ordered, moving back and gathering the file before heading back to his office.

 

**_[PAGE BREAK]_ **

 

                Gayle pushed the door open, and scurried across the floor towards the podium a few feet away.

“Hi! Just one?” the waitress asked, smiling.

“Actually, I’m meeting someone,” she said, looking around for Morgan.

“Oh! Alright, go on in,” the waitress replied, motioning inside before stepping away from her place. Gayle nodded, and ran her fingers through her hair, walking in a few steps and looking around until she spotted Morgan, sitting in a table near the corner, glancing at his watch. A sheepish smile formed on her face as she hurried over, and dropped into the chair across from him.

“Sorry, sorry...” she chuckled, looking up at him as he smiled over.

“Good to see you – I was hoping you hadn’t forgotten me.” She raised an eyebrow, and rolled her eyes.

“Oh, please, Morgan. I couldn’t forget you if I tried. You are too…well, unforgettable,” she admitted, laughing at her own cheesiness. He snickered, shaking his head, and looked up as the waitress walked over, setting two drinks on the table.

“I ordered drinks for both of us,” Morgan explained, as Gayle picked up one of the drinks.

“Oh! Thanks!” The waitress handed a menu to Gayle, smiling as she walked off. “Food…I’m starving,” she chuckled, shaking her head a little. “Okay…I know what I’m getting,” she finally said a few moments later.

                The waitress returned, and took their orders, heading off with a smile on her face. Gayle leaned forward, and reached over, placing her hand over Morgan’s.

“I am so glad to see you, Morgan. I actually thought about you a lot this week,” she admitted, smiling over at him. Morgan raised an eyebrow, and looked at her, giving a slight smile.

“Yeah? Why?”

“I was cleaning up my apartment, trying to make it look normal and finally organize my things…found a few articles about the case, including the obituaries for those women. I don’t know why I kept them…but I did. And when I dug them out, I just…” She shrugged a little. “I started thinking about you, and the team, and Mel…which…have any of you guys heard from her lately?” A smirk appeared on Morgan’s lips, and he shook his head, chuckling.

“Yeah. Yeah, uh…Reid went out with her a few weeks ago. Again.”

“Again?” she asked, confused.

“I guess the two of them hit it off pretty well – she’s been convincing him to come over for dinner a lot since you left…and the past few weeks they’ve actually gone _out_ for dinner. I gotta hand it to her – she’s getting Reid into the dating world. And only her, so it’s gotta be nice.”

“What does?” she asked, sipping her drink with an eyebrow raised. He chuckled, and shook his head a little as though he didn’t want to answer, before sighing.

“Seein’ the same girl more than once. Reid once pointed out that he never sees me with the same girl twice…at the time I really didn’t think much of it,” he said, shrugging a little bit. Gayle raised her own eyebrow, and leaned back in her chair, glancing around the café a little.

“There’s nothing wrong with that, Morgan. Technically, we’re still young. At this point, it’s more of a want than a need, as far as settling down. So you really don’t _have_ to think much of it until, you know…you think you need to. And I really don’t think that’s now,” she replied, sipping a little more and sliding her finger against her glass. He raised an eyebrow as he looked at her, but smirked slightly.

“It sounds…like you have given this a hell of a lot of thought, Gayle.” A laugh followed his voice, and it made a smile pull at the corners of her lips.

“Well, I have. Ever since…ever since, you know, what happened in Virginia, I have given a lot of thought to things. I looked over my life before his quote-unquote death, and tried to put everything together, and…I know that while the choice I made to marry him was hasty, if I hadn’t, I never would have met you, or the team, and those are friendships I actually do cherish.” Morgan watched her for a minute, as her eyes carefully avoided his own, but still made contact with the rest of his face, before reaching out, and tapping his finger against her hand.

“Hey, girl…” She hesitated, but finally met his eyes, uncertain. “It’s just us. What’s goin’ on in there?” he asked, lifting the same finger and brushing it against her temple. “I’m listening.” She looked at him for a minute, before sighing, and looking around her at the faces surrounding them.

“I feel like I’ve spent the past year working on a jigsaw puzzle, but some of the pieces were never put in the box. They exist, I know they do…but I don’t think I’m ever going to find them, so my puzzle is never going to be finished.” She sat quietly for a second, with her mouth open as she thought, but as a soft squeak passed her throat, the waitress stepped up to the table, and sat both plates down on the cloth. She jumped slightly, before looking up, and murmuring a thank you to the waitress. Morgan didn’t look away from Gayle, even when he thanked the waitress before she walked away, but once they were alone again, he reached over, and placed his hand over hers.

“Hey. Look at me.” She lifted her head to see him, and he could see the slight fear and sadness in her eyes. “Try to relax. Why don’t we eat lunch now, and tomorrow night, let me come by, we can actually talk, and you don’t have to worry about interruption.” She smiled a little, and moved her other hand over his, patting it lightly.

“I do not want to take you away from your family during your visit, Derek,” Gayle said, giving his hand a squeeze and releasing it as she laid her napkin on her leg.

“Please. My mom likes to hit the hay early, so it’s no problem,” he said, smirking, and picking up his fork. “So eat. Relax. We‘ll actually talk tomorrow.”


	3. Chapter 3

                Hotch pressed the phone against his ear, glancing around as the team approached the SUVs. He listened to it ring twice, before it clicked, and Morgan answered.

“Morgan.”

“Hey, it’s Hotch. Where are you?” Morgan raised an eyebrow, glancing around him.

“At my mom’s place – remember? Vacation?” he asked. Hotch shook his head.

“Right. Look. We just landed, we can either come get you or you can meet us, but we have a case, and we need you.” Morgan sighed, and ran a hand down his face, before nodding.

“Meet you where?”

“Naperville,” Hotch answered, turning the key in the ignition and bring the vehicle to life. “Look, we’re passing by, so we’re gonna come get you. Twenty minutes,” he replied, flipping his phone closed, and pressing his foot into the accelerator. Morgan shut his phone, and sighed, looking at it for a second before he flipped it back open, and pressed a few of the keys. He listened as it rang, before her voice filtered through the speaker. He smirked.

“Hey, Gayle…Look…I don’t know if I’m gonna get to come by tomorrow,” Morgan said, shaking his head. She frowned on the other end, but sighed.

“Oh…okay. That’s fine,” she replied, not bothering to press for a reason. The line was silent for a few seconds as Morgan formed an uncertain look on his face.

“Not by choice, really…Hotch just called, apparently we got a case in Naperville?” he asked, unsure if she knew where that was.

“Oh! That’s fine, Morgan, really – you don’t have to explain yourself. Just means you owe me,” Gayle teased lightly. He chuckled, but nodded, grabbing his jacket off the hook near the door.

“Yeah. Make sure I pay up, alright? Take care – I’ll see you later,” he said, flipping the phone shut and heading towards the kitchen to find his mother.

 

**_[PAGE BREAK]_ **

 

                As the doors closed behind them, and the officers continued to move around them, Hotch pulled his sunglasses away from his eyes, and took a look around the station.

“Agent Hotchner?” sounded a male voice from a few feet away. He turned his head, and nodded.

“Detective Roberts. These are Agents Morgan, Rossi, Prentiss, and Doctor Reid.” Roberts reached around, shaking their hands, before leading them down the hall and into a closed off conference room, lined with boards, each covered in pictures from the crime scenes.

“Thanks for coming out so quickly,” Roberts said, glancing over his shoulder, before rounding the table and turning to face the team. “Leann McGuire, twenty-nine,” he said, reaching towards the table to pick up the photograph before handing it to Hotch. “We got a call shortly after we phoned you…someone found a body by the fountain at Fredenhagen Park. I sent my officers out there, they didn’t need the DNA match to know it was Leann. Same as the last three victims – hands bound, bruises and cuts, and a single gunshot wound.” Hotch glanced behind him at the team, and shook his head slightly as he handed the photograph to Rossi. Roberts could see a small hint of uncertainty in cross their faces, but he reached down, and slid another image across the wooden table top. “But while we were rushing around, and trying to clear the Park so we could get her out without the media surrounding us and releasing word of what happened to the public…another call came in.” Morgan looked up, passing the picture to his left and releasing it to Prentiss.

“Another call?” he asked.

“That is Michelle Peyton, twenty-five. She’s a single mother, works two jobs. Her mom called us. She had been watching Michelle’s two-year-old son, Daniel, so Michelle could get in some overtime at work last night, then come stay the night, and then take Daniel home this morning. Only, Michelle didn’t show up last night. Her mom said once in a while Michelle will be too tired to drive the extra few miles, so she’ll just go home and come by in the morning, so that’s what she figured had happened. But when Michelle didn’t answer this morning, and a trip over to her apartment turned up nothing, her mom called us. We just found Michelle’s vehicle about fifteen minutes ago. Same as the others.”

“So we have roughly two days before he kills Michelle…we better get to work,” Hotch said, setting the pictures down, and rounding the table to look at the board.

 

**_[PAGE BREAK]_ **

 

                Gayle laid her head on the arm of the couch, and sighed, lazily pressing the button her remote control. Channel after channel flashed across the screen, reality TV followed by infomercial followed by talk show. She sighed, and finally climbed off the sofa, moving towards the DVD player and her movie collection. As she ran her finger across the spines of the DVD cases, a thumping sounded against her front door, and she jumped, spinning on her heels. Gayle didn’t speak or move as she waited for another knock to sound. After a few seconds, the same knocking sounded, and she slowly, silently, crossed the living room, poking her head around the corner.

“Gayle? You home?” She breathed out, relieved, and shook her head as she moved and opened the door.

“Morgan, I’m going to tell you this once – even though I feel incredibly safe around you, when you show up unannounced, you scare the bejeezus out of me,” she laughed, shaking her head and waving him inside. He laughed, and closed the door behind him as he stepped into the apartment.

“Sorry, Gayle,” he said, looking around as she moved for the fridge.

“I thought you told me you couldn’t see me tonight,” she stated, raising an eyebrow and turning to see him with a bottle of water in her hands. She extended her arm, silently offering it to him.

“No, thanks. I did, but the team’s calling it a night, going to grab dinner in a few. I was wondering if you wanted to join us?” he asked. “I mean, you know – since I cancelled on you before.”  Gayle looked at Morgan, and smiled, before nodding.

“I would enjoy that, definitely,” she said, putting the water back into the fridge. “Where are we going to eat?” He watched her move from the kitchen into the living room, and smiled slightly.

“Chinese. Uh…a place called PF Chang’s, you ever been?” She poked her head around the corner, smirking.

“Are you kidding? I love that place. Great food, great drinks, easy atmosphere. Let me go get changed.” She tossed the remote back to the couch, and scooted down the hall to her room, nudging the door closed as she changed into different clothes. Morgan wandered her apartment, looking around and checking out the pictures she had around.

“I like your place, Gayle! Much cleaner than the last place you had,” he teased.

“Oh, hush you!” she laughed. “But thanks!”

                Laughing softly, Morgan paused near her television, picking up a wide-shot photograph, and smiled. It was a group picture, of the BAU team, Gayle, and Melody, not long before Gayle moved away. He examined the picture for a few minutes, before Gayle cleared her throat behind him.

“Hey…I know it’s fascinating to stare at my pictures, but any chance we’ll get to go out tonight?” she asked, chuckling. He set the picture down, and turned, looking her over before smirking.

“Lookin’ good, girl. Come on, let’s get goin’ – I told them just to meet us there,” he said, moving up beside her and hooking his arm around her waist.

 

**_[PAGE BREAK]_ **

 

                They sat around the table, plates and bowls dotted in front of each person, half-empty glasses. Gayle smiled across at Reid as he handed his chopsticks over to JJ, and picked up his fork from beside the plate.

“Still no luck with the sticks, Reid?” she asked, raising an eyebrow as she smiled, and took a sip of her wine. He chuckled, but looked over and shook his head.

“But trust me, I have tried. Maybe I should have started practicing with those around the same time I started teaching myself magic tricks.” Laughing softly, Gayle glanced at Morgan, and smiled.

“It is really good to see you guys again – I only wish it was under better circumstances,” she said, nodding and leaning back in her seat.

“I always wish that. Maybe next time, you can come visit us,” Hotch suggested, cracking a little smile. Gayle looked around the table, sipping at her wine for a moment, before sitting up, and tilting her head. Prentiss chuckled softly as the food slipped off Reid’s fork, but as she turned to speak to Gayle, she raised an eyebrow.

“Gayle? You okay?” Pushing her chair away from the table, Gayle stood, and held up her hand.

“Yeah, hey, I’ll be right back…sorry,” she spoke, glancing at the others apologetically, before scooting towards the door. Morgan, frowning, looked around at the others, and stood.

“I’ll be right back, too,” he said, following Gayle to the door. She hurried outside, and moved a few feet down the sidewalk before he stepped outside.

“Jason!” she called, chuckling as she jogged up behind the man that she’d spotted through the window. He stopped, and turned around, before smiling, and waving a little.

“Gayle…Good to see you, what brings you around here?” he asked, glancing at the restaurant she’d exited.

“I’m having dinner with a few friends, but I decided I should probably catch you now that I have seen you for the first time in, oh, way too long. You need to make an appointment to come back to the office – we’ve been setting up those papers for you,” she said, placing her hand against his arm. He looked at her for a second, thinking, before nodding.

“Tell you what. I’ll come in next week – and I’ll even call first, how’s that?” he replied, smiling.

“Hey, Gayle!” She turned around at the sound of Morgan’s voice, and blushed.

“Sorry, Morgan, I didn’t mean to be rude…” she began to explain, stepping back a little so she could see Morgan better. He stopped midstep, and raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised.

“Gideon?”


	4. Chapter 4

                The men looked at each other, and Gayle glanced between them, before Gideon cracked a smile, and reached out for Morgan’s hand.

“Good to see you again, Morgan,” he said, nodding.

“You too, Gideon. How do you know Gayle?” Morgan asked, nodding towards her as she stood between them and off to the side.

“She works at my attorney’s office.” Gayle blushed, and looked at Morgan, shrugging with a small smile.

“Jason is one of the best clients I have contact with. It’s always a good day when he has to come into the office,” she replied, patting Jason’s arm lightly. Gideon looked at Gayle with a smile, before looking back at Morgan.

“How do you two know each other?” Gayle hesitated, and sighed.

“Morgan saved my life…twice, when I lived in Virginia.”

“Hey, technically I only saved it once…the first time Hotch saved you,” he pointed out, smirking a little. “Gideon, man…you live out here now?” Morgan asked, lifting his hand to motion to the building. Gideon motioned behind him.

“A few blocks off, yeah. What are you doing here?”

“On a case…Right now we’re having dinner at PF Chang’s. Hey, wanna join us?” Morgan asked, holding his hands up in offering. Gideon looked between the two, and considered the offer for a moment, before shrugging and nodding.

“Yeah, sounds good. If you’re sure,” he added, looking between them. Gayle, with a grin, put her hand on his arm, and led him back towards the door.

“I’m sure – that should be all that matters,” she teased, smiling over at Morgan, before opening the door.

                 Morgan headed in first, followed by Gideon, then Gayle, and the three made their way to the table. Reid glanced up when he saw Morgan heading back towards them, and shifted slightly in his chair.

“Everything okay, you guys?” he asked, tapping his fork against his napkin. Morgan nodded, moving to sit, opening the team’s view to Gideon. Gayle watched all of them stop, and look up, uncertain for a moment, and then surprised, and she glanced at Morgan, her eyebrows knitted together.

“G-Gideon?” Reid asked, slowly sliding his chair back and standing. He smiled a little, and nodded, reaching out to shake Reid’s hand.

“Good to see you, all of you,” he said, looking around the table. For a moment, everyone was silent, and Gayle felt her cheeks flush, until Hotch stood, and shook Gideon’s hand, looking around and pulling up a chair from a nearby empty table.

“Uh, why don’t you join us, Jason?” Hotch asked, looking up at his old friend. Gideon smiled, nodding a thank you, and lowered himself into the chair, looking around the table.

 

**_[PAGE BREAK]_ **

 

                Morgan looked around as he walked Gayle to her door, and she shook her head a little, turning to see him.

“If I had known that you were going to be uncomfortable with Jason joining us, Morgan, I never would have run out to see him,” Gayle finally apologized, stuffing her hands into her pockets to find her keys. He chuckled, and shook his head, leaning against the doorframe.

“Hey, now…you didn’t know. And how would you have known? You and I don’t talk about the BAU unless it’s you bringing up the case and thanking us for saving your life, which you don’t have to bring up, you know.” She smiled, laughing softly, as she removed a small key ring from her pocket.

“Well…I guess that’s true.” Gayle paused, resting her hand on the doorknob, before turning to look at him. “Has anyone told you lately that you are a great person, Derek Morgan?” she asked, raising an eyebrow before pushing the key into the doorknob. The smirk pulled at the corner of his mouth, and he reached out, patting his hand on her back.

“Only you, gorgeous. So let me ask – why do you always try to flatter me?” he asked, raising an eyebrow, and making her blush as she turned the key and opened the door.

“Because I believe you deserve it. The job you do…I know the FBI doesn’t always get greeted very warmly. And I know that a hell of a lot of people think the BAU is full of BS,” she snickered. “But you guys are amazing. And you deserve to be told such.” Gayle pushed the door open more, and slid her hand against the wall, pushing in the light switch and looking up as the hall light flickered and zapped before going off again. “Damn it. Okay. Mr. Amazing, please tell me you have your phone with you.” He raised an eyebrow, but unclipped his cell, reaching out and placing it in her palm.

“I always do. Why?”

“Because I can’t see in the dark, and the next light is in the kitchen…with the switch across the room.” She flipped his phone open, and held it out in front of her, following the faint glow across the tile floor to flip on the overhead. “There. Thank you,” she said, tossing him his phone as she crouched to grab a bulb out from under the cabinet. Morgan closed the door behind him, putting the phone back in its holder

“Not a problem.” He watched her shove one of the kitchen chairs into the hall to change the bulb. “One question.” She looked down at him as she climbed up, and placed a hand on the bulb.

“Would you shut off the switch?” she asked, pointing. “What’s your question?” Morgan took a couple steps, hitting the switch, and turned to see her as she pulled the first bulb out of the socket.

“Why’d you blush when I asked why you try to flatter me? Doing it because you think I deserve to be flattered doesn’t necessarily result in the need to blush…” She stopped, pushing the second bulb into the socket, and blinked a few times, before once again blushing.

“Come on, Morgan. Do you really want to talk like you’re at work tonight? You spend all day doing that sort of thing – I would think you want to do something different when you aren’t working,” she said, lowering her hands and nodding for him to hit the switch. As he pressed his finger into the switch, bright white light erupted from the bulb, and brought a smile to her face as she climbed off the chair.

“I’m always working, gorgeous. And that didn’t answer my question.”

“And you didn’t answer mine,” she pointed out, tossing the old bulb in the garbage, before turning to look at him. “But fine. I’ll answer yours…just one last thing. If I _have_ to tell you, Morgan, you aren’t doing a very good job at figuring me out,” Gayle said with a shrug, and a smirk. He looked at her from where he stood near the front door, and smiled at her.

“You, Miss Morel, have a thing for me, don’t ya?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. She took a deep breath, and stared over at him, before smiling and nodding reluctantly.

“Yeah, yeah. Can you actually blame me?” Morgan crossed the kitchen, and hooked his arms around her, pulling her into a hug.

“I don’t know that I’ve been able to blame you for anything since I met you,” he pointed out, as she smiled and returned the hug. After a few seconds, Gayle pulled back, and looked at him.

“That’s not…well, okay, I guess it is…” The confused look on his face made her giggle. “I was going to say that’s not true…but then I realized that technically we met _after_ I crashed into you. So I guess that technically it’s true, that you haven’t blamed m-“ Her voice went silent as Morgan, with a silly smirk on his face, cupped her face in his hand and leaned in, and pressing his lips gently against hers.

 

**_[PAGE BREAK]_ **

 

                The table was cluttered with pictures of crime scenes, pictures of the victims before and after, information that could be relevant. Reid kept his head down as he poured over the documents, skimming them to take in the information, tossing them aside to see what else he had. Hotch stood near one of the boards, looking at the pictures, and sighed.

“Rossi, why don’t we go check out the crime scene again? When Morgan gets in, have him look over all this, see if he can give you a hand,” he said, glancing at Reid. Reid nodded, glancing up.

“Of course.” Hotch and Rossi left the room, and crossed the station, moving through the officers before leaving through the door.

“Any clue where Morgan is?” Prentiss asked, watching the door flop shut behind Rossi, before sitting back down at the table. Reid shrugged, and shook his head.

“I tried to call him, but it went right to voicemail.”

“What did?” Morgan asked, as he opened and closed the door, lowering himself into a chair across from Reid. JJ turned around from where she stood near the marker board, and exchanged glances with Reid and Prentiss, before smiling a little.

“Your phone. We tried to call you earlier – Hotch wasn’t happy you weren’t here yet.” He glanced up and around, and shrugged.

“Had my phone off so it could charge, and so my mother could sleep,” he said nonchalantly. “Did I miss anything?”

“No, not really. Hotch and Rossi are looking at the crime scene…”  Morgan nodded, ignoring the moment of uncertain silence between the rest of the team.

“Okay, so what do we know about this unsub?” he asked. Prentiss moved towards the images from the first victim.

“He is careful…no one ever reports seeing him around these women, let alone kidnapping them. He’s also sure of himself, since he has taken two of the women in broad daylight,” she said carefully, nodding as she looked around.

“He’s smart. He seems to know when they’ll be alone, so he watches them long enough to know that,” Reid added.

“It looks…like they didn’t try to fight back. No one tried to make a phone call, no one tried to run away, or scream for help. At least, not that anyone reported. Means he’s strong, possibly intimidating enough to keep them from trying anything,” Morgan spoke slowly, scanning over notes from each woman’s case.

“So the unsub is male, probably early to mid-thirties,” Prentiss added, turning to see Reid and Morgan.

“And he only takes mothers with small children. All four victims, and the one missing woman, all have children under the age of six…” Reid turned around, and looked at the images tacked to the cork, before sighing, and rubbing his hand against his neck. Morgan looked over at him. “What’s up?” he asked, eyebrow raised. Reid lifted his eyes.

“…I’m just glad Mel stayed in Virginia, and didn’t move out here with Gayle,” he said, shaking his head. The team looked at each other, before Prentiss nodded.

“She has a five-year-old, doesn’t she?”

“Sebastian. Yeah…” Morgan glanced at JJ, before reaching over, and patting Reid’s shoulder.

“Hey, man. They’re fine. After what happened before…Melody knows how to be safe. She learned well. So don’t worry. If you need to be reassured, go ahead and call her,” he said, nodding his head. Reid nodded, but didn’t answer.


	5. Chapter 5

                Hotch pushed open the door, and looked around at the rest of the team.

“Did they ever find any of the other vehicles?” The agents turned to see him and Rossi as they entered the room.

“What?”

“All the women that went missing, and their vehicles went missing too. Did anyone ever find the vehicles?” he repeated, leaning over the table and pushing the papers around.

“There’s no record, if they ever did,” Prentiss replied, shaking her head.

“Call every junk yard, find out if they keep records of vehicles that come in. If this unsub is as smart as he thinks he is, he won’t keep them,” Hotch said, looking around the room. Morgan stood, taking the papers from Hotch with the vehicle information on them, before heading out of the room.

                A little while later, Morgan reopened the door, his cell pressed to his ear.

“Yeah, thanks,” he said, snapping his phone shut. “Alright. City Auto Wreckers in Aurora keep records of the kind of cars that come into their lot. All of our victim’s vehicles have been brought in right before the bodies were discovered, all by the same guy. He’s closin’ shop and coming by to try and give us a description of the guy.”

“He didn’t wear a mask?” Reid asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Nah. Gloves and a hood, but he could see his face,” Morgan answered, putting his phone away.

“How far?”

“Eleven minutes, he was already in the car when I hung up.” Hotch nodded, and looked up at the clock, then behind him.

“…we’re running out of time. And if our unsub knows we’re looking for him, he’s going to rush to get rid of Michelle Peyton. He might make a mistake, slip up.”

“You really wanna take that chance, Hotch?” Morgan asked, raising an eyebrow.  Hotch shook his head, looking around the room.

“Of course I don’t, but we’re running short on time, and he might just make a mistake. JJ, make sure that nothing gets out in the news about this lead. If he knows we’re onto him, then he’ll kill Michelle sooner than the others, and we need to keep her alive as long as the others, give us time to find her.”

“Sure thing,” she said, heading out to speak to the officers.

 

**_[PAGE BREAK]_ **

 

                The owner of the junk yard climbed back into his car as Gayle pulled into the lot, and pushed her hair off her face. Looking around, she pocketed the keys, and grabbed the bags out of her passenger seat, climbing out of the car and heading into the station. An officer near the door looked over and smiled, waving at her, before motioning towards the room that the team was in. Smiling and nodding a thank you to him, she crossed the office, and tapped on the door, poking her head in.

“Hey, guys.” Hotch turned around, and raised an eyebrow.

“Gayle?” She walked in, pushing the door partly closed.

“I know, you’re wondering why I’m here. But I was coming through town to visit a friend, and I have a friend who works here, so after making sure you haven’t had lunch, I thought I’d bring you something. I won’t stay, I just want to be sure you all are eating,” she said, smirking at Reid who chuckled. Hotch took the bags from her hands, and set them on a clear space on the table.

“You amaze me, Gayle. And this smells great,” he said, pulling out containers and passing them around. Morgan and Prentiss helped clean off the table as they set out the food, before Morgan turned, and looked at her.

“You’re welcome to stay – you’ve seen worse,” he said, shrugging. She glanced around at the team, and shook her head. “Gayle, sit. I can hear your stomach from here,” he said, reaching over and pulling her towards the table. With a small snicker, she nodded, and took a seat, helping them pass around the food and take a small break for lunch.

               

                As they cleared the table, and returned the documents and evidence and notes to their place, Gayle stood, and passed hugs around the room, smiling.

“Now that you guys have a full stomach, you’ll be able to think a little bit more clearly. I’ll let you guys get back to work, okay?” she asked, smiling as she moved to the door. Morgan glanced around, before standing.

“Of course. We’ll see you later, Gayle,” Reid said, waving a little.

“I’ll walk you out – just to be sure. I’ll be right back,” Morgan said, opening the door, and following Gayle back outside to her car. She tilted her head to see him as she rounded the corner to her car.

“You just want to get me alone again, don’t you, Agent Morgan?” she teased, chuckling softly as she removed her keys from her pocket.

“That, and I want to be sure no psychopath is the backseat of your car.”

“I appreciate that.” They stopped beside her car, and Morgan checked the seats, before looking at her and nodding.

“Were you really out here to see a friend?” he asked, smirking. Gayle paused, pushing the key into the door lock, and chuckled, blushing.

“Sure I was. And I’m seeing his reflection right now,” she replied, tapping her finger on the glass, before opening the door and turning to see him. “I never said what kind of friend.” Morgan laughed, and pulled her into a hug, kissing her cheek.

“You have an uncanny ability to surprise me, Morel.” She looked at him as he pulled back, and kissed him quickly.

“I could say the same about you. You also have an uncanny ability to make pretty much anything look good.” He grinned, laughing, as she moved and put the key into the ignition. “You should get back to work, Morgan. Catch the bastard that’s doing this crap.”

“We got a break on who it might be.” His voice was low, soft, to avoid being overheard, and she leaned in a little, nodding.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. Tell you what. I’ll come see you later, fill you in, okay?” Gayle planted her hands on his shoulders.

“You can fill me in once you catch this bastard. Deal?” Laughing, he nodded, and leaned his arm against her door.

“Deal. Now Get goin’. I’ll see ya later.” She planted a peck on his cheek before dropping into her car, closing the door, waving him away from the car, and driving away. Snickering, Morgan strolled back into the station, and leaned against the wall, looking at the team.

“What’s the next move, Hotch?” he asked, crossing his arms over his chest. Hotch turned around, and sighed a little.

“Get the sketch to Garcia, have her run it to see if it gets any hits. A couple officers are headed to the junk yard see if there’s any fingerprints on the cars that aren’t scrapped yet. When those get back, we need to run them, too.” Morgan nodded, and ran his hand over his head, sighing.

“We sure these guys aren’t going to leak anything?” he asked, looking around. JJ nodded her head.

“I spoke with the officers myself – they agreed it was premature to reveal anything,” she answered.  “And the lieutenant made sure to warn them what the consequence would be if they let anything slip.”


	6. Chapter 6

                Flipping her pen around in her fingers, Garcia dialed Morgan’s number, and flipped the pen back up, typing a little more.

“Hey, babygirl. You’re on speaker,” he said, moving the phone, pressing a button, and sliding it onto the table.

“I’m running the prints that the officers sent over, so that’s going to take some time. But I ran the sketch against all records in the area. We’ll have to wait for confirmation with the prints, but the match seems to be from an Adam Martin, with a rap sheet longer than Reid is tall,” she replied. Hotch, shaking his head, leaned against the table.

“Tell me you got more on him than a name and a rap sheet, Garcia,” Hotch spoke, raising an eyebrow.

“Of course I do, oh wise one. His last known was on Jefferson Avenue, but that address is about six months old. Says here…that the house was foreclosed on around a month ago, and hasn’t been sold. It actually looks like it’s fallen into disrepair – there’s no Contact number or anything about buying the place,” she said.

“It would make sense – he spends two days with each victim, he’s going to need a place where no one will come looking,” Reid spoke, nodding some.

“And no one will coming looking at this place – I’m looking at the satellite view, that house is so unkempt, I am appalled for them.”

“Garcia,” Hotch said.

“Sorry. Okay. He seems to have fallen off the grid around the time that the house was foreclosed upon.  No credit cards, no bills in his name, no cars, nothing. All that’s listed is a license, and that has the address on Jefferson listed.” Hotch nodded.

“What’s the address, Garcia?”

“275 West Jefferson.”

“Good. Keep us updated. We’re going to check out the house,” he said, hanging up and sliding the phone back to Morgan. “Rossi, Morgan, go check out the property, see if you can find anything. We’re going to go back over the information.”

“Sure thing, Hotch,” Morgan said, putting his phone away. He stood, and followed Rossi out the door. Prentiss looked over.

“What if this is right, Hotch? What if our unsub is there?” she asked.

“Then we have to believe that Morgan and Rossi will do the right thing,” he replied, running a hand down the back of his neck as he walked out of the room.

 

**_[PAGE BREAK]_ **

 

                Rossi pulled the car into the lot across the street, and looked out his window.

“That the place?” he asked, nodding. Morgan leaned over to see.

“Yeah. Looks like it – Garcia was right, it doesn’t look like anyone would come knocking.” They climbed out of the car, Morgan brushing a hand against his gun to ensure it was still attached, before rounding the trunk, and following Rossi.

                The two crossed the street, and approached the front door, which had a large, rotted board nailed across it. As Rossi cautiously climbed the steps while they creaked and groaned beneath them, he shook his head, and wiped his finger against the pane of glass, removing a streak of dirt and dust.

“I don’t think anyone’s home, Morgan.”

“And I would say it looks like no one is coming back. But that doesn’t stop me from goin’ around to check on a back door,” he chuckles, heading back down the steps and moving through the grass on the mostly-hidden path to the backdoor. Rossi, shaking his head, climbed down the steps, and followed him, peeking in windows as they went.

                As they reached the back door, Morgan stopped, putting a hand up to stop Rossi. He motioned to his ear, and crouched down a little. From inside the house came the muffled sound of scraping and whimpering. Glancing behind at Rossi, Morgan removed his weapon from its holster, and climbed the back steps, to a door that was not blocked off. Carefully, he turned the knob, and pushed the door, aiming his gun ahead of him as he entered the house. Rossi followed close behind him, gun drawn, observing every corner around them.

                The whimpering faded more, but the scraping sound increased over their heads. Quietly and carefully, they moved through the rotting kitchen, and up the steps, avoiding the cracks in the wood. As they reached the top of the stairs, the scraping turning into a dragging sound, and they moved a little faster towards the only closed door on the second floor. Just as they reached the door, they heard muffled cries from inside. Rossi leaned against the wall, gun at the ready, as Morgan kept his aimed, and kicked in the door. An empty chair was on its side at the other end of the room near an open door.

“Rossi…” Morgan began, before making his way across the room. A narrow staircase led them back down to the kitchen, and as they reached the back porch again, they watched Michelle Peyton’s Toyota speed through the garage door, sending chunks of wood into the overgrowth and across the drive as it flew down the drive and onto the street, narrowly missing another car.

                Morgan removed his cell phone and flipped it, dialing a few numbers.

“Hotch! Man, he was here – but he just took off. Michelle Peyton is still alive, but I don’t know for how much longer.”

“See if you can follow him, Prentiss, put out an APB on Michelle Peyton’s vehicle,” he said, glancing over. “If you lose him, get back here.”

“Got it,” he said, snapping his phone shut and leading Rossi back to the car.

 

**_[PAGE BREAK]_ **

 

                The door latched behind Rossi as he pushed it closed, and Morgan dropped into his chair.

“Lost him…he must’ve been flying, because we would have only been a block behind him, and he was gone,” Morgan said, shaking his head.

“Prentiss had the officers notified on the vehicle and plates…and JJ’s released the information to the public.”

“You think this’ll work? That we’ll catch him before he kills her?” Hotch looked over at Rossi, and then back down at his hands.

“Keep working,” he spoke without answering, before turning and heading out of the room. JJ moved towards the window, and watched as Hotch crossed to the front door, and stepped outside, his head down, and his hand against the back of his neck. She glanced behind her at the team, and following behind Hotch, heading outside. He stood near the corner of the building, leaning against his, his head still down, and, hesitantly, JJ moved up next to him.

“Hotch?” He looked up, slightly surprised that she followed him, and frowned.

“Yeah?”

“We’ll find her. I know it.” JJ rested her hand carefully on his shoulder, and he nodded slightly. Sighing, she looked down, and saw he was holding his phone, with a picture pulled up of himself, Hailey and Jack. “She’s going to be okay, Hotch.”

“I hope so,” he said, before closing his phone, and putting it away, turning and following her back into the station.


	7. Chapter 7

                Hotch looked around the conference room, and took a seat next to Reid.

“What’ve you got?” he asked, noting the determined and concentrated look on Reid’s face. He jerked a little, turning, and shrugged.

“Well…I was looking over the pictures of the women…these ones,” he said, pointing to the various headshots of each woman where they were smiling. “I’m trying to figure out the connection between them…all I can see is that they all were mothers, and all had brown hair.”

“Okay,” Hotch said, looking at the photographs and nodding.

“But it feels like something is missing, you know? So I called Garcia, she faxed me over some information on Martin’s life…and as I went through the pictures that were included, I found this,” he said, moving and pinning up an older photograph of a brunette. “Adam Martin’s mother. Went missing on his seventh birthday, was found brutally murdered on his eighth birthday. She shares a resemblance to the victims…” Hotch looked up at the photographs, and frowned, nodding.

“Did her disappearance look similar?”

“Somewhat. According to the report, she’d gone grocery shopping. Witnesses recall seeing her leaving the store, but her car was found in the parking lot, trunk open, groceries sitting inside. No one saw her during the year she was missing, at least not that was reported.” Hotch shook his head, and sighed, looking down at the case file Reid passed over.

“So Martin…took what happened to his mother…and decided to do to other families what was done to his own,” he spoke slowly, shaking his head more.

                For a few moments, the team sat around in silence, looking over the images on the board, and reviewing information in the files and papers scattered across the table. Reid looked up over the file in his hands as the handle turned, and the door creaked open.

 “Agent Hotchner…” Lowering the file, Hotch turned around to see an officer at the door, motioning over his shoulder. “Call just came in, someone spotted Peyton’s vehicle narrowly missing a few folks as it turned a corner.”

“Where?”

“Ogden and Sherman – heading East on Ogden.”

“Let’s go,” Hotch said, pushing away from the table and heading for the door, the team only a few steps behind.

 

                Hotch pressed his foot into the gas pedal, sirens blasting, lights flashing, as he sped down Ogden, not too far ahead Morgan. After a few miles, they spotted lights blocking off the side streets, and a vehicle matching the description of Michelle Peyton’s speeding several blocks ahead.

“There…that’s the vehicle. We’ve almost got it – Morgan, see if you can get some cruisers to block off Ogden ahead of it,” Hotch spoke, pushing harder into the gas pedal.

“On it,” Morgan said, before calling the lieutenant. “Hey, it’s Morgan…we got the vehicle in sight. You need to get some cruisers on Ogden, try to block this guy off. If we don’t stop him, this could get really messy, really fast.”

“Sure thing,” the lieutenant replied, and hung up. Hotch, holding the pedal to the floor, sped after the Toyota, watching as police SUVs and squad cars disappeared from their blocks behind them.

“Am I the only one hopin’ he blows out a tire?” Morgan asked, leaning forward a little to see a string of vehicles pulling across the road a mile ahead. Hotch shook his head, and began to let off the gas.

                The Toyota’s brake lights lit up as it grew closer to the barricade of squad cars and SUVs, but it didn’t come to a stop. Instead, it plowed through, crashing into one squad, and skidding into an SUV before coming to a stop. A few feet behind him, the SUV Hotch drove came to a screeching halt, before he put it in park. The agents climbed out quickly, guns drawn, and advanced on the vehicle. The front windows were shattered, the front end somewhat crumpled in. The driver was leaning against the steering wheel, one hand against his forehead, and it wasn’t clear if anyone else was inside.

“Adam Martin! Put your hands where we can see them and get out of the vehicle!” Hotch yelled, stepping up near a few officers, who kneeled near them. Martin leaned back against the seat, but didn’t climb out. “Martin! Hands up and out of the car!” He tilted his head, and reached down, fumbling against the door.

“Put up your hands, Martin!” Morgan hollered, to no avail. His arms moved, and he shoved the door, stumbling out with a gun in his hands. “Put the gun down, man!” Martin climbed out, and looked up, a trickle of blood trailing along his forehead.

“They all deserved what I did to them…they left their children behind! _They_ weren’t taking responsibility for them!” he called over, raising the gun to point at the car.

“None of them _deserved_ that, Martin! Look, man, just put the gun down, and step away from the vehicle.” He turned his back.

“She DOES deserve this!” he replied. Adam took a step towards the back door, and pointed the gun inside the shattered window. Without hesitation, Morgan raised his weapon, and fired off one shot, directly into his shoulder. The gun dropped from his hand, and he fell against the vehicle. The officers, Hotch, and Morgan moved in, and as Hotch yanked Martin away from the vehicle to cuff him, Morgan opened the back door. A sobbing Michelle Peyton was bound and gagged in the backseat, various bruises and cuts visible on her arms and face.

“Michelle Peyton, I’m Agent Morgan, FBI. You’re safe now. Come on, let’s get you out of here,” he said, holstering his weapon before reaching in to remove her gag. Her sobs became louder, and as he removed her restraints, she weakly clasped her arms around his neck. Morgan gently pulled her from the car, and turned, handing her to the officers behind them, who helped seat her in the recently arrived ambulance.

 

**_[PAGE BREAK]_ **

****

                JJ raised her head and peered through the glass as Morgan and Hotch returned to the station with most of the officers behind them. She waited a few seconds before opening the door and stepping out to meet them.

“How did it go?”

“He’s at the hospital right now, with two officers. Once he’s patched up, he’s going to jail,” Morgan said, running a hand over his head as he moved into the other room to help the team clean up the table.

“And Michelle Peyton?” she asked, hopefully.

“Alive, and being treated at the hospital. One of the officers is calling her family now,” Hotch replied, nodding slightly towards the group of officers dispersing across the room.

“Good…” she replied, watching Hotch head into the conference room, too, before she headed to find the lieutenant. Glancing over at the door, Hotch sighed, and then looked up at Morgan.

“You can go back to Chicago, Morgan…finish visiting with your family,” he said, nodding and forming a small smile on his face. Morgan lifted his head, and smiled some.

“You sure, Hotch?”

“Yeah. Go on. Have a good time, we’ll see you back in Quantico,” Hotch replied, patting Morgan’s shoulder as he rounded the table. Morgan nodded, and, handing the last stack of documents over to Reid, he waved to the team, and headed back out.

“You’ll have my report when I get back,” he called to Hotch, before disappearing out the front door.


	8. Chapter 8

                Gayle lifted her head from the pillow as a thumping sounded on her door, and, sighing, she sat up, turning down the volume on the television. She shot her eyes over at the clock on the wall, and frowned, lowering her hand towards the underside of the couch.

“Who is it?” she called, biting her lip.

“It’s Morgan!” A smile crossed her lips, and she stood up, moving over and turning the locks on the door before opening it.

“Hey! What are you doing here so late?” she asked, raising an eyebrow as she let him in, and bolted the door behind him. He shrugged, moving towards her fridge for a bottle of water.

“We’re finished with the case…and my mom’s in bed for the night, so I thought I’d come by to see you before I head back to Quantico tomorrow.” Glancing over at Morgan, Gayle nodded.

                She crossed the kitchen, and hooked her arms around his waist, embracing him gently.

“It was good to see you again, Derek,” she said softly, nodding. He smiled, putting his arms around her shoulders, as he kissed the side of her head.

“Always a treat to see you, Gayle. You have my number – just keep me updated on what’s happening here, alright?” he hoped, smirking as he pulled back from the embrace. She chuckled, and nodded.

“Of course,” she added. “Are you hungry? There’s some pasta, and some chicken, and stuff, in the fridge.”  Morgan glanced at Gayle, then turned to see the fridge, before shrugging, and shaking his head.

“Nah. Had dinner with the family. Thanks, though,” he replies.

                For a second, Gayle watched him, before heading to the living room. Uncertain, Morgan followed her, and poked his head around the corner.

“You okay?” She looked up, and patted the couch.

“Course. It just gets a little lonely ‘round here knowing all my friends are in Virginia,” Gayle answered, as he dropped onto the couch. She laid her hand over his, and gave it a squeeze.

“Why don’t you move back, then, Gayle?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. She shook her head.

“I’ve thought it about it, but I’m just not ready yet. Too much in my head and too much there that I can’t handle. But I will when I feel better about it….hey…I do have something to give you though,” she admitted, standing and moving to her closet. He smiled, and waited, until she returned with a small box.

“What…is this?”

“It’s not so much for you as it is…you know…for Clooney,” she laughed, as he pulled out a pull rope, and laughed.

“I was really hoping it wasn’t going to be for me, Gayle. I don’t, you know…chew on ropes.” Laughing, she sat down beside him, and put her arms around his shoulders, squeezing him gently before sitting back.

“Yeah, yeah. I know.”

                The two sat in the room together, quietly, as Morgan went through the various items in the box that Gayle had for Clooney to play with. Each one brought a small chuckle from his throat, and a small smile to her face. Once he finished, and put everything back in the box, he reached over, and gave her hand a squeeze.

“Everything okay, Gayle? I know we didn’t actually get to talk very much since I got here.” She smiled, and wrapped both her hands around his.

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure. It’s like I said…there’s parts of my memory I’m never going to get back.” She looked at him for a moment, before biting her lip. “And I’ve become much less trusting of…anyone I don’t know. I think it gets worse when I’m home…the only people who knock at my door are people I work with. And they never come by after eight, unless it’s an emergency,” she snickered, looking at him. “After I moved out here, I gave it six or seven months, and then I went through everything I needed to go through in order to purchase a handgun.” He smirked slightly. “If I’m awake, I keep it where I can grab it. When I’m in bed, it’s in my nightstand. No one has any reason to be here without me knowing, so…” she said, shrugging. Morgan chuckled, and tugged at her hands, pulling her against him as he wrapped his arms around her.

“You a good shot?”

“I usually go to a shooting range at least once a week. Never missed a shot. Maybe I’ll show you next time you’re here,” she said, resting her head on his shoulder. “…Hey, Morgan?” He glanced at her.

“Yeah, girl?”

“Thank you. For everything. I couldn’t even begin to tell you how much it all means to me.” He kissed the top of her head, and held her close, smiling.

“I know…just get some rest, alright?” She nodded, and shut her eyes, snuggling up against him on the sofa.

 

**_[PAGE BREAK]_ **

 

                Reid smiled over at Mel as he pulled up in front of her house. She peeked over her shoulder as the little boy behind her unbuckled his belt, before looking over at Reid. Reid turned his head to look behind him at the little boy, and smiled as he blushed.

“Did you have fun, Bash?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. Bash nodded, smiling, as he looked up at Reid. “Good to know.” Mel smiled as she glanced between before undoing her seatbelt.

“Thanks for breakfast Reid.”

“Not a problem…what’ve you got going on today?” he asked, not yet ready to let them go, or to go to work. Mel thought, and shrugged.

“He has a doctor’s appointment this afternoon…I think otherwise we’re going to work on his talking. He almost had a full formed conversation the other night…” Reid reached back, and ruffled Bash’s hair.

“Nice, kiddo. Keep up the good work.” Looking over at Reid, Mel couldn’t help but smile sweetly, and blush.

“ I’ll see you later?” she asked, raising an eyebrow hopefully. He chuckled, and nodded, turning to see behind him again.

“Of course, Mel. I’ll give you a call after work. Hey, Bash…take care of your mom?” He grinned up at Reid, and nodded, but he didn’t speak as he opened the door, and reached for Mel’s hand through the window.

“Drive safe, Reid,” she said, pausing slightly, before leaning over and placing a very light and sweet kiss on his lips. “Bye,” she added, climbing out of the car, and heading into the house with Bash. Reid, blushing, waited until they were inside the house to pull away from the curb, and head to FBI Headquarters, a grin spreading across his face. 

**Author's Note:**

> So, I wrote this -long- before this current season (if you've seen it, you know what happened with Gideon...if you haven't seen it, I'm not ruining anything). Also...not really sure what my reason was for throwing Gideon in was - I think I just wanted to see to close out his story line because I really missed him.
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>  _I do not give permission to have any of my works put up on goodreads or any other such site._


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